Romans 14:16

New American Standard Bible (1995)

Therefore do not let what is for you a good thing be spoken of as evil;

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Therefore, do not let your good be slandered,

King James Version (1611)
Let not then your good be euill spoken of.

King James Version
Let not then your good be evil spoken of:

English Standard Version
So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil.

New American Standard Bible
Therefore do not let what is for you a good thing be spoken of as evil;

New Century Version
Do not allow what you think is good to become what others say is evil.

Amplified Bible
Therefore do not let what is a good thing for you [because of your freedom to choose] be spoken of as evil [by someone else];

Legacy Standard Bible
Therefore do not let what is for you a good thing be slandered;

Berean Standard Bible
Do not allow what you consider good, then, to be spoken of as evil.

Contemporary English Version
Don't let your right to eat bring shame to Christ.

Complete Jewish Bible
Do not let what you know to be good, be spoken of as bad;

Darby Translation
Let not then your good be evil spoken of;

Easy-to-Read Version
Don't allow what is good for you to become something they say is evil.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Cause not your commoditie to be euill spoken of.

George Lamsa Translation
Let not our blessings be a reproach to any one:

Good News Translation
Do not let what you regard as good get a bad name.

Lexham English Bible
Therefore do not let your good be slandered.

Literal Translation
Then do not let your good be spoken evil of.

American Standard Version
Let not then your good be evil spoken of:

Bible in Basic English
Let it not be possible for men to say evil about your good:

Hebrew Names Version
Then don't let your good be slandered,

International Standard Version
Do not allow your good to be spoken of as evil.Romans 12:17;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
Let not our good [fn] (things) be blasphemed.

Murdock Translation
And let not our good thing be matter of reproach.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Let not your good be euyll spoken of.

English Revised Version
Let not then your good be evil spoken of:

World English Bible
Then don't let your good be slandered,

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Therefore let not your good be evil spoken of.

Weymouth's New Testament
Therefore do not let the boon which is yours in common be exposed to reproach.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Therfor be not oure good thing blasfemed.

Update Bible Version
Don't let then your good be evil spoken of:

Webster's Bible Translation
Let not then your good be evil spoken of:

New English Translation
Therefore do not let what you consider good be spoken of as evil.

New King James Version
Therefore do not let your good be spoken of as evil;

New Living Translation
Then you will not be criticized for doing something you believe is good.

New Life Bible
Do not let what is good for you be talked about as bad.

New Revised Standard
So do not let your good be spoken of as evil.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Therefore, suffer not to be defamed, your own good thing;

Douay-Rheims Bible
Let not then our good be evil spoken of.

Revised Standard Version
So do not let your good be spoken of as evil.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Cause not youre treasure to be evyll spoken of.

Young's Literal Translation
Let not, then, your good be evil spoken of,

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Se therfore that youre treasure be not euell spoke of.

Mace New Testament (1729)
Don't let our religion then be expos'd to reproach.

Simplified Cowboy Version
You'll be blameless if you act this way.

Contextual Overview

¹ Now accept the one who is weak in faith, but not for the purpose of passing judgment on his opinions. ² One person has faith that he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats vegetables only. ³ The one who eats is not to regard with contempt the one who does not eat, and the one who does not eat is not to judge the one who eats, for God has accepted him. ⁴ Who are you to judge the servant of another? To his own master he stands or falls; and he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand. ⁵ One person regards one day above another, another regards every day alike. Each person must be fully convinced in his own mind. ⁶ He who observes the day, observes it for the Lord, and he who eats, does so for the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who eats not, for the Lord he does not eat, and gives thanks to God. ⁷ For not one of us lives for himself, and not one dies for himself; ⁸ for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord's. ⁹ For to this end Christ died and lived again, that He might be Lord both of the dead and of the living. ¹⁰ But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Romans 12:17, 1 Corinthians 10:29, 1 Corinthians 10:30, 2 Corinthians 8:20, 2 Corinthians 8:21, 1 Thessalonians 5:22

Reciprocal: Ruth 3:14 - Let it not Ephesians 5:2 - walk

Cross-References

Genesis 12:2
And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing;

Genesis 14:11
Then they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their food supply, and departed.

Genesis 14:12
They also took Lot, Abram's nephew, and his possessions and departed, for he was living in Sodom.

Genesis 14:18
And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; now he was a priest of God Most High.

Genesis 14:19
He blessed him and said, "Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth;

1 Samuel 30:8
David inquired of the LORD, saying, "Shall I pursue this band? Shall I overtake them?" And He said to him, "Pursue, for you will surely overtake them, and you will surely rescue all."

Isaiah 41:2
"Who has aroused one from the east Whom He calls in righteousness to His feet? He delivers up nations before him And subdues kings. He makes them like dust with his sword, As the wind-driven chaff with his bow.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Let not then your good be evil spoken of. The Vulgate Latin reads it, "our good", and so the Syriac version; the sense is the same, and to be understood either of the Gospel in general, which is good in its author, matter, effects, and consequences; is good tidings of good things, and which might be blasphemed by the men of the world, on account of the divisions and contentions among the professors of it, about such little trivial things, as eating this or the other sort of food; and therefore care should be taken, that it be not evil spoken of through such conduct: or else the doctrine of Christian liberty in particular, which is a good thing; Christ has procured it, and bestows it upon his people; it is a valuable blessing in itself, and is attended and followed with many considerable privileges and immunities; but may be evil spoken of by those, who do not so well understand it, through an imprudent use of it by those who do; and who therefore should guard against any reproach that may be cast upon it; and rather than this should be the case, forego the use of it, in things of an indifferent nature; see 1 Corinthians 10:30; so that this is another of the apostle's reasons, why though nothing is of itself unclean, yet it should be abstained from on account of others.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Let not then your good ... - That which you esteem to be right, and which may be right in itself. You are not bound by the ceremonial law. You are free from the yoke of bondage This freedom you esteem to be a good - a favor - a high privilege. And so it is; but you should not make such a use of it as to do injury to others.

Be evil spoken of - Greek, Be blasphemed. Do not so use your Christian liberty as to give occasion for railing and unkind remarks from your brethren, so as to produce contention and strife, and thus to give rise to evil reports among the wicked about the tendency of the Christian religion, as if it were adapted only to promote controversy. How much strife would have been avoided if all Christians had regarded this plain rule. In relation to dress, and rites, and ceremonies in the church, we may be conscious that we are right; but an obstinate adherence to them may only give rise to contention and angry discussions, and to evil reports among men, of the tendency of religion. In such a case we should yield our private, unimportant personal indulgence to the good of the cause of religion and of peace.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Romans 14:16. Let not then your good be evil spoken of — Do not make such a use of your Christian liberty as to subject the Gospel itself to reproach. Whatsoever you do, do it in such a manner, spirit, and time, as to make it productive of the greatest possible good. There are many who have such an unhappy method of doing their good acts, as not only to do little or no good by them, but a great deal of evil. It requires much prudence and watchfulness to find out the proper time of performing even a good action.